(12/18/2012) - According to to the Japanese Skating Federation, world bronze medalists Narumi Takahashi and Mervin Tran, who were sidelined this season after Takahashi underwent shoulder surgery, have decided to part ways.

Both skaters intend to continue skating and are on the lookout for new partners.

Tran, who is of Vietnamese and Cambodian descent but was born in Regina, Saskatchewan, had sought Japanese citizenship before the 2014 Olympic Winter Games; he would not have been eligible to compete on behalf of Japan at the Olympics without it.

The pair made it clear that impediment was not the reason they split up.

"Recently, as we've differed in the way we think about competing, we've come to disagree with each other," Takahashi said, speaking in Japanese. "We actively feel like continuing with the skating that we love, so we've decided to end our partnership."